Ford Motor Company Limited

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Frederick J Homburg

Aaron Stanley Wisniewski

Huan-Kun Chang

Noman Shafi

Talavane Suryanarayan

Calvin Columbus Nichols

Charles Luke Berry

Hazel Wagner

Srinivas Kotha

Method of forming a partially covered panel

A method of thermoforming a thin flexible film comprising a series of steps. A thin flexible film capable of being thermoformed is heated until it is pliable. A mold having first and second surfaces on different planes forms a thermoformed article having a contoured surface. A first portion of the pliable film is contacted with the first surface. A first vacuum is applied through the first surface to draw the first portion against the first surface. After the first portion of the film is drawn against the first surface, a second portion of the film contacts the second surface. A second vacuum is applied through the second surface to draw the second portion of the film against the second surface. Air trapped between the mold and the film is first removed between the first surface and the first portion of the film and then removed from between the second surface and the second portion of said film so that the thermoformed article is substantially defect-free.

Method of thermoforming a thin multi-layer flexible film

Growing community of inventors

Woodhaven, MI, United States of America

Frederick J Homburg